Copy practical Claude prompts for breaking down long documents and contracts, summaries with citations, feedback on your writing, natural rewrites, learning, source-backed research, and comparing options.
Claude is an AI assistant from Anthropic. Like ChatGPT, it can answer questions, write text, explain topics, summarize documents, help with code, and think through drafts.
The difference between a poor result and a good one often is not whether you used some "magic phrase." The difference is whether you clearly tell Claude what to do, with what context, in what format, and what it should flag as uncertain.
A weak prompt looks like this, for example:
Summarize this for me.
A better prompt adds context and the expected output:
Summarize this text for someone who does not have time to read the whole document. Split the output into the main idea, the 7 most important points, risks, open questions, and things I should verify in the original source.
Text:
[paste text]
In this article you will find ready-made Claude prompts. Copy them, swap the square brackets for your own details, and add tone, length, or format as needed.
If you are still comparing AI tools, you may also find Claude vs ChatGPT: which AI tool is right for what? useful.
A simple formula for a good prompt
A good Claude prompt usually includes:
- the task: what Claude should do,
- context: for whom, in what situation, and with what inputs,
- output format: table, list, email, plan, checklist,
- constraints: length, tone, language, what to avoid,
- handling uncertainty: what it should mark as an assumption or a fact to verify.
A practical template:
I need [type of output] for [audience]. Context: [situation]. Use a [matter-of-fact/friendly/formal/natural] tone. The output should be [format and length]. Do not invent facts I did not provide. If you are not sure, mark it as something to verify.
In its recommendations for prompting Claude, Anthropic stresses clear instructions, context, examples, an output format, and separating the parts of the prompt for more complex tasks.
For long documents, it helps to paste in the text or source material first and only then give the task. When you have several parts, simple tags can help:
<context>
[paste context]
</context>
<text>
[paste text]
</text>
<task>
Summarize the text and list the things I should verify.
</task>
You do not have to use exactly this XML. What matters is separating the instructions, the input text, and the expected output so Claude does not mix them up.
How Claude prompts can differ from ChatGPT prompts
Both Claude and ChatGPT respond well to specific instructions. With Claude, though, it pays off even more to lean on structure, a longer context, and a clear separation of inputs.
In practice, Claude is often a good fit for:
- summarizing longer documents,
- feedback on your writing,
- more natural rewrites without a promotional tone,
- comparing arguments,
- checking for unclear points and assumptions,
- working with long notes and several documents at once.
If you are moving over from ChatGPT, you do not have to change everything. Just be precise, add an output format, and, for longer inputs, clearly mark what is the source material and what is the task.
This article focuses on what Claude excels at: long documents, working with text, and thinking things through. You will find classic office tasks like a customer email, a CV, or interview prep in Best ChatGPT prompts.
1. Summarize a long document
Read this document and summarize it for someone who needs to grasp the essentials quickly. Do not write generic filler. Split the output into:
1. main idea,
2. the 10 most important points,
3. risks or weak spots,
4. questions that remain open,
5. what I should verify in the original document.
Document:
[paste text or notes]
For longer texts, you can quickly check the length with the Word counter.
2. Summary with citations from the text
First find the specific sentences or passages in the text that support the main conclusions. Then prepare a summary. Back up each important conclusion with a short quote from the text. If you cannot find support in the text for a conclusion, mark it as uncertain.
Text:
[paste text]
For factual tasks, Anthropic recommends asking for support in the text, citations, and the option to admit uncertainty. Even so, that is no guarantee of accuracy, but it lowers the risk that an answer will sound convincing without any basis in the source material.
3. Rewrite text in natural English
Rewrite this text so it sounds natural in English. Keep the meaning, remove awkward phrasing, do not pad it out, and do not make it promotional. The result should be matter-of-fact, human, and easy to read. If a sentence is unclear, suggest a better version and mark it.
Text:
[paste text]
4. Shorten text without losing meaning
Shorten this text by about [30/40/50]%. Keep the main information, remove repetition, filler phrases, and unnecessary explanation. The result should be clear and suitable for [audience].
Text:
[paste text]
If you often clean up text after copying it out of documents, the Text case converter can come in handy.
5. Break down a long document in plain language
This is an area where Claude excels. Paste in a longer document, such as a rental agreement, an insurance policy, or terms and conditions, and have it explain what they mean for you.
Read this document and explain to me in plain language what it means for me. Split the output into: what the document is about, my main obligations, what to watch out for, any hidden or unusual terms, and questions I should verify. Do not use legal jargon without explaining it.
Document:
[paste text]
6. Reply to an unpleasant email
Help me reply to this email professionally and calmly. Do not attack, do not apologize more than necessary, and do not admit fault if it is not clear from the material. Suggest a practical next step. Keep the result under 130 words.
Email:
[paste email]
7. Explain a topic to a beginner
Explain [topic] in a way a beginner can understand. Start with a short explanation, then a simple real-life example, and finish with 5 terms I should remember. Do not use technical jargon without explaining it.
8. Learning plan
I want to learn [topic] in [time period]. My level is [beginner/intermediate] and I can spend [number of hours] per week. Suggest a realistic week-by-week plan. For each week, add concrete tasks, the type of resource you recommend, and a way to check whether I understand it.
9. Brainstorming ideas
Suggest 20 concrete ideas for [topic/project]. The target audience is [who]. Avoid generic ideas like "create quality content." Put the output in a table with columns: idea, who it suits, why it might work, difficulty, first step.
10. Weekly work plan
Help me plan my work week. Main tasks: [list]. Fixed deadlines and meetings: [list]. Available time: [how many hours]. Suggest a day-by-day plan, mark priorities, and add what I can postpone if I fall behind. Be realistic.
11. Meeting preparation
Prepare an agenda for a meeting about [topic]. The goal of the meeting is [goal]. Participants: [who will attend]. The output should include the agenda, questions for discussion, decisions that need to be made, material I should prepare, and a short invitation email.
12. Meeting notes
Turn these meeting notes into clear minutes. Split the output into:
1. a brief summary,
2. decisions made,
3. tasks with an owner and a deadline,
4. open questions,
5. a draft follow-up email.
Notes:
[paste notes]
13. Research with verification
Help me research [topic]. First write down which questions need to be answered. Then suggest trustworthy types of sources where I can verify it. If you use the web or make specific claims, add sources. At the end, split the findings into: verified, likely, uncertain, and requires checking in an official source.
Claude can use web search if it is available on your account and switched on. According to Anthropic, when it uses the web it should add citations so you can check the sources. Even so, click through to the original source and confirm that the conclusion really follows from it.
14. Fact-check a text
Check this text for factual accuracy. Do not judge the style, only the accuracy. List the claims that should be verified, and for each one state which source would be most suitable: an official site, a law, a price list, a scientific source, documentation, or the original document. Do not invent links.
Text:
[paste text]
15. Marketing copy without exaggeration
Write marketing copy for [product/service]. Target audience: [who]. Main customer problem: [problem]. Benefits: [list]. The tone should be practical, trustworthy, and free of exaggerated promises. Output: a headline, a short description under 80 words, 5 benefits, and one call to action.
16. Article outline
Suggest an outline for an article about [topic]. The reader is [target audience]. The article should be practical, not generic. Output: SEO title, slug, excerpt, H2 headings, what each section should cover, internal links that make sense, and 5 questions the article should answer.
17. Feedback on my text, like an editor
Claude is an excellent second reader. Do not ask for a rewrite right away, but for specific notes on what to improve.
Read this text as an experienced editor. I do not want the whole text rewritten, just specific notes. Flag what is unclear, what sounds artificial or promotional, where an example is missing, and which sentences I should shorten. For each note, add a short suggestion for how to improve it.
Text:
[paste text]
18. Compare two documents or offers at once
Claude can handle several texts in one message, so it can set them side by side. It is good for two offers, two versions of a contract, or two drafts, for example.
Compare these two documents. List where they agree, where they differ, and which differences matter for me. At the end, add what I should watch out for with each of them. Do not invent anything; stick only to what is in the texts.
Document A:
[paste text]
Document B:
[paste text]
19. Overview of a long email thread or conversation
When you get lost in a long thread, Claude can pull out the essentials, and above all what you need to do.
This is a long email thread. Create an overview for me: what it is about, what has been agreed so far, what the open questions are, and what specifically I need to do and by when. If you are not sure about something, flag it rather than guess.
Thread:
[paste conversation]
20. Explain a complex text simply
Claude can translate technical, official, or legal text into plain language without losing the essentials.
Explain this text to me in plain language, as if you were explaining it to a friend with no specialist background. Keep it accurate, do not leave out important details, and at the end list the 3 things I should mainly take away from it.
Text:
[paste text]
21. Learning from a long study text
From long lecture notes or an article, Claude can prepare notes and questions to test whether you really understand the material.
From this study material, prepare a learning aid for me. Split the output into: brief notes on the main points, 8 check questions with answers, and 3 things people often get wrong about this topic. Stick only to what is in the text.
Material:
[paste text]
22. Compare options
Compare these options: [options]. I am deciding based on these criteria: [price, time, risk, ease, quality, or your own criteria]. Put the output in a table. At the end, write a recommendation, but clearly separate facts, assumptions, and things I should verify.
23. Translation and localization
Translate this text into English so it sounds natural for an English-speaking reader. Do not translate word for word; keep the meaning and adapt idioms. If the text contains a cultural, legal, or business detail that may not apply, flag it.
Text:
[paste text]
24. Security and privacy check of a text
Check this text before I send it to an online AI tool. You should find sensitive data, personal data, passwords, tokens, internal information, trade secrets, and data about clients or employees. Split the output into:
1. what to remove,
2. what to anonymize,
3. what can stay,
4. an anonymized version of the text.
Text:
[paste text]
25. A second opinion on an important decision
Help me think through a decision: [describe the decision]. Context: [situation]. My options: [options]. Criteria: [what matters]. Do not look for one quick answer. First list the assumptions, then the pros and cons, the risks, what I should verify, and what questions I should ask myself before making the final call.
How to improve an answer without a new prompt
If Claude answers too generally, follow up with a short instruction:
Be more specific and add a real-life example.
Cut it in half.
Write it in more natural English.
Drop the marketing phrases.
Give me 3 alternatives with a different tone.
Mark what is a fact, what is an estimate, and what I should verify.
It is often better to refine an answer within the conversation than to start from scratch.
What to watch out for with Claude prompts
Claude can answer convincingly even when it is wrong. For drafting an email, that may not be a big problem. For legal, medical, financial, technical, or current information, it is.
In its documentation on reducing hallucinations, Anthropic recommends letting Claude admit uncertainty, asking for support from sources, and always validating critical information.
Verify above all:
- laws, prices, deadlines, and terms,
- medical, legal, and financial advice,
- quotes, studies, and links,
- information about specific companies, people, and events,
- technical instructions where a mistake could cause harm.
A useful line to add to a prompt:
If you are not sure, do not state it as a fact. Clearly mark what I should verify in an official source.
For research, ask for sources:
For every important claim, cite a source. If you do not have a source, mark the claim as unverified.
Do not paste in sensitive data
Do not paste anything into Claude that you would not want to send to an outside online service.
Above all, avoid:
- passwords, API keys, and access tokens,
- national ID numbers, document numbers, and health data,
- internal company documents without permission,
- data about clients, customers, or employees,
- contracts and documents where you are not sure you can share them.
If you need to edit a sensitive text, anonymize it first:
Rewrite this text. Replace the name with [NAME], the company with [COMPANY], the email with [EMAIL], the amount with [AMOUNT], and keep all personal data anonymous.
For your accounts on AI tools, use a strong password and two-factor authentication. The guide How to create a strong password can help.
Practical tip
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Summary
The best Claude prompts are not the longest. They are specific.
Write what you want, add context, set the output format, and say what tone or constraints Claude should stick to. For long documents, clearly separate the source material from the task. For important facts, ask for sources and verify the result.
The most practical approach is simple: copy a prompt, swap the square brackets for your own details, and then refine the answer with short follow-up instructions.
